A delegation of officials and entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan’s Ferghana region, led by Governor Khayrullo Bozorov, is currently on a working visit to China.

The visit began in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, also known in the Turkic world as East Turkistan. The delegation held several meetings in the region, accompanied by Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to China, Farhod Arziev.

According to UzDaily.com, extensive talks took place in Urumqi with a Chinese delegation headed by Ma Xingrui, member of the Communist Party Politburo and Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The discussions focused on direct regional cooperation between Ferghana and Xinjiang. Governor Bozorov presented opportunities for collaboration in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, tourism, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, and education. Projects such as a seed breeding center and fruit nurseries in Kuva district were also proposed.

These talks come at a time when China continues its repression of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan — including widespread surveillance, cultural erasure, and arbitrary detentions. Disturbingly, most neighboring Turkic republics remain silent in the face of these human rights violations.

Dilshat Sultan

16 April 2025